Four Seasons in Two Days: Marmaris Weather Extremes

During January 13-14, when the first leg of the 6-leg ERGO-MIYC 2018 Winter Trophy was held

Marmaris weather literally made participants experience all four seasons.

First visit to Marmaris after Marmaris Race Week. First, clear, sunny weather greets me.

A day earlier, at the marina in the evening, Hello Marmaris with a magnificent sunset.

But let's not forget the season is winter. Indeed, meteorology shows weather change.

Saturday morning, January 13, we wake up to overcast weather this time.

A southwesterly wind causing unease and rain making an appearance early.

At the briefing taking place at 10:00 AM in the MIYC Garden, rain patters drown out Chief Umpire Can Giray's voice.

Today is the first day of the 1st leg of the 6-leg ERGO-MIYC Winter Trophy. The fleet, with new faces participating on new boats, is having its first briefing with the experienced and beloved race committee.

Chief Umpire Can GİRAY begins his speech by sincerely thanking MIYC Management and participants on behalf of the committees.

"The weather is as you can see, we're wet this week, it's certain we'll be racing wet," he says.

He announces that they have planned a total of 16 races in the 6-leg trophy, and that race discards can be applied after 14 races are completed.

Today 2 races are planned, but what will the conditions show?

He explains that there are some changes in the routes compared to previous years. The most important of these changes is the inclusion of the Keçi Island return routes, which have not been preferred for years, into the Geographic Routes.

There are also examples in the speech of some penalties to be given for rule violations;

Penalties to be applied to those who tack when another class's starting procedures have begun in the start area, penalties arising from deliberate or inadvertent discharge of foreign substances into the sea.

There was also a warning;

The Coast Guard Command in Marmaris Region announced that they have started monitoring the hoisting of Turkish Flags on boats during non-race times. There is no leaving the marina without a flag saying I'm going to the race.

Finally, he stated that the IRC measurements of all boats in the fleet have not yet been completed, that class separation will not be made in this leg, that all boats will start together, and that the evaluation will be made for informational purposes according to the time spent on the course.

MIYC President İhsan Kalaycı, in his welcome speech to the teams racing on 27 boats, specifically requested that sailors organize their reservations for the closing night to definitely stay in Marmaris that night.

When the briefing ended, the unrelenting rain was determined to spend the day raining on and off..

When going out to the course, the wind is blowing at 17 knots from 150 degrees.

Waves that could affect the boats inside the harbor had not yet formed. While the sea displayed a view with foam on a dark navy blue background in some areas, the False Strait sides were creating a tableau with foam over turquoise.

The committee starts making hasty preparations and setting up the course, but the wind doesn't keep its word, it changes direction. The committee also keeps pace with the wind and revises the route according to the latest situation.

The wind settles at 140 degrees and the windward mark is anchored 1.2 nautical miles away. Once the last mark of the O-1 Triangle Course finds its place, operations begin.

The wind occasionally exceeds 20 knots. The rain has stopped.

The starting line off Marmaris for the fleet that will make a mass start has also been set up wide.

In this situation, there's no bread for us in the start images, we'll have to settle for ordinary views.

At these positions where waves have also formed, at 12:00, the start is given to the entire fleet.

While the fleet heads toward False Strait without breaking away from each other for quite a while, separations begin with different turning points.

Small clusters at the mark roundings, that's all.

The wind is increasingly gaining strength and affecting the fleet with different values according to different positions.

Just when we thought it would be a warm-up race, collision sounds and announcements start to be heard. MIRABELLA vessel hits STUBBORN vessel right in the middle.

There is damage to the vessels and they abandon the race and return to the marina.

The increasingly strong wind and rising waves affect the course towards the end of the race.

Finishes are being taken as we frequently start to see sails struck by the boom.

Meanwhile, with the announcement from the race committee boat that "Race 2 is cancelled due to wind speed exceeding 30 knots and becoming steady," vessels head towards the marina.

Right after that moment, the sky literally splits open. It's not raining, the heavens are pouring down.

The decision was right.

As the fish party begins in the club garden in the evening, the rain takes pity on the organization and pauses.

The morning brings completely different weather again. We are confused about what to wear and what to take with us.

When we take everything, we become like a carrier. Never mind, extra jacket, extra scarf, extra hat...

We don't use any of them when we go out on the course, the weather is summer. Wind is "0".

Boats are tied to each other, continuing the evening conversation.

The most hard-working race committee boat. Going back and forth.

Chief Race Officer Can Giray is probably saying "Look at fate" to himself. What if the first leg starts with a single race?

Fortunately, the expected Marmaris weather comes to the rescue. We had forgotten that we are in the hours of transition from South to North.

While the wind shows 4-7 Knots from 230 degrees, the committee announces that the fleet will run the 12 nautical mile bird's eye view Geographic G-2 Route.

The race starting in the inner harbor will be run following the turn around Karga Taşı Island in the outer harbor and a turning buoy in the inner harbor.

With the start at 12:10, the fleet finds itself on the course.

Many boats make the start with a balloon. The fleet is literally moving on a single tack.

Although the wind dropping to 3-4 knots from time to time is concerning, it continues to blow without negatively affecting the race.

Single tack sailing continues from the strait exit to Karga Taşı Island.

The wind, occasionally strengthening off İçmeler mouth and in front of Turunç, brings those who use it to Karga Taşı Island quickly.

However, at the island turn the wind is almost non-existent, or more precisely on the hair.

Those who complete the turn continue on their way.

Upon entering the harbor, the buoy turn and balloons once again provide beautiful views to those on the shore at the Marmaris winter event.

Knowing for information purposes that the results will turn into rankings by classes after the completion of IRC measurements, we are leaving green and 19 degree Celsius Marmaris.

See you at the 2nd leg of ERGO-MIYC 2018 Winter Trophy to be held on February 3-4, 2018.